The drug overdose situation in Moncton, N.B., continues to be a major concern for frontline workers and first responders, who have responded to hundreds of overdose calls so far this month. “It’s been a lot. There’s been multiple overdoses a day. Somedays 40, 50,” said Chelsea Melanson, the frontline support worker team lead at Harvest House Atlantic. “It’s tiring, it’s overwhelming. We’re exhausted.” A spokesperson for Ambulance New Brunswick said paramedics responded to 248 suspected overdose calls in the Greater Moncton area between May 29 and June 11. Leon Baker, executive director of Harvest House Atlantic, said their frontline team has managed 309 overdose responses since June 1 — an average of 28 a day. Baker said Thursday was the worst day with 52 responses, 34 of which required naloxone. As of 10 a.m. Friday, the team at Harvest House had responded to 14 overdose calls. ‘Even Narcan is not bringing some people back’ Melanson and team member Sarah LeBlanc made the rounds on the streets around the homeless shelter Friday. They kept naloxone kits on their waists as they checked to make sure everyone was OK. Melanson said the overdose situation in the city isn’t slowing down at all. “We bring it all home with us. No matter what we go through here, we have to go home,” said Melanson. “We have to deal with it there and then we come back tomorrow and we do it all again, because who else is going to do it?” Melanson said the fentanyl on the streets is much different and much stronger now than it was four years ago when she started at Harvest House. “It’s the drugs. It’s whatever is in them. It’s tranquilizer, it’s new fentanyl,” said Melanson. “Even Narcan is not bringing some people back.” ‘These are numbers that we’ve never seen’ Moncton Fire Department Chief Conrad Landry said what’s happening in the city is unprecedented. Landry said they had 23 overdose responses on Thursday for a total of 59 calls. “The numbers don’t seem to be slowing down,” said Landry. “These are numbers that we’ve never seen in the history of the Moncton Fire Department.” Landry said they’re monitoring the mental health of the firefighters due to the sharp increase in 911 dispatch calls and concerns about burnout. “They’re going a lot and there’s not a lot of time for breaks,” said Landry. “Between calls there’s not a lot of time to decompress.” Lt. Neil McGillis has been a firefighter for 20 years. He said the recent overdose calls have spiked dramatically. “It’s been taxing on the crews and taxing on the whole fire department in a way,” said McGillis. He said he’s been to calls with two units at the same address because the first unit has arrived, there’s been an overdose, they’ve witnessed a second one, but they’re tied up with the initial call. “It’s been a lot,” said McGillis. “We all like to think we can handle anything, but there’s definitely burnout. I see it in myself, I see it in other guys.” ‘It’s hard to deal with’ Homeless advocate John Renton said he’s been with teams that have revived more than 100 people in the past two weeks. “It’s phenomenal. It’s 24 hours a day,” said Renton. Renton said sedatives, tranquilizers and depressants like medetomidine, xylazine and benzodiazepines are being added to the fentanyl supply and it’s taking its toll. “They’re respiratory inhibitors that are causing people to lose their ability to breathe and they’re making the heart stop,” said Renton. Renton said advocates like himself and first responders are being worn thin. “There’s not enough bodies to look after the people that are using,” said Renton. “It’s hard to deal with.” Hannah LaPointe, the vice-president of community development at the YMCA of Greater Moncton, said they have responded to more than 75 overdoses since May 29. “The required response rate continues to take a toll on everyone involved, but our team remains committed to doing everything they can to help the people we serve,” said LaPointe in an email. “They have been heroes through this difficult time and we could not be more grateful for them.” ‘Powerful and dangerous substances’ On Thursday, the Vitalité Health Network sent a news release on social media saying it had been notified that “very powerful and dangerous substances” may have been added to certain drugs circulating in the Moncton area. “There has been a high number of overdoses and poisoning cases linked to this situation,” stated the health network. Vitalité said drugs in the city may contain medetomidine, which is a strong sedative often used by veterinarians, and is often mixed with fentanyl. When mixed together, Vitalité said it can cause deep and prolonged sedation and can make overdoses more difficult to reverse. Minister says N.B. is taking ‘concrete action’ Meanwhile, the New Brunswick minister responsible for Addictions and Mental Health, said the province is aware of the increased overdose activity in the city and the impact it is having. “We remain in regular contact with service providers, shelters, including local agencies such as Harvest House, to better understand emerging needs, coordinate responses and identify opportunities to strengthen supports,” said Robert McKee in a statement to CTV News. McKee said the province is taking “concrete action” to improve access and services for mental health and addictions in New Brunswick. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
